The rest of my shift at Kelly's went by without consequence. Courtney tried to make nice with me a few times, but I mostly ignored her. I knew I wasn't being fair… I knew she wasn't after Jason, but why couldn't she just tell me that? We weren't best friends or anything, and I didn't expect us to be, but she could have been more forthcoming about her relationship with Jason. But he could have been more forthcoming about his relationship with Courtney.

Ninety miles outside Chicago
Can't stop driving
I don't know why
So many questions
I need an answer
Two years and later
You're still on my mind

I did find myself hoping he would be back tonight. Every time the bell would ring, I'd looking hoping for him. I couldn't help it… I missed him. I glanced at the clock and sighed. Twenty minutes til closing time. I didn't think he'd be back tonight.

"Hot date?" the blonde waitress asked.

"Yeah," I answered her. I was careful to keep the amusement from my voice. "With my couch at the studio."

"Oh…I thought–"

"You thought Jason was coming back for me."

"Well… yeah."

"Jason's busy, Courtney. He's working on things right now. I have to respect that."

"I know." She grabbed a dishrag and went to wipe the dining room tables. "You think it'd be okay if we locked up early? It's been kind of slow tonight."

I glanced back at the clock and nodded. "Yeah. I don't want to be out to late. The docks are dangerous."

"AJ's coming by to walk me home. We can drop you off at your building," she offered.

"No, that's ok." I grabbed the pan of dishes on the counter and went towards the back. Courtney locked the door and then went back to the table. I could hear soft music from the jukebox.

I did the few dishes with ease. It was never a job I minded to do, but there was usually a dishwasher in there at night. Lucas had to take off early tonight… Bobbie had said they were having dinner at the penthouse with Carly. I knew it would make my unexpected friend happy to have dinner with her mother and brother. I hoped it would ease some of the pain she was feeling from Sonny's death.

Whatever happened to Amelia Earhart?
Who holds the stars up in the sky?
Is true love just once in a lifetime?
Did the captain of the Titanic cry?
Ohhhh…

When I came back into the main room, Courtney was unplugging the jukebox and turning off the sign. I untied my apron and hung it on the rack. "I guess I'm gonna go. Remember to put your tips in the jar, we'll split them for the week tomorrow."

"Elizabeth… will you please let AJ walk you back to the studio? I would feel better if you did."

"I'll be fine, Courtney. I've made this walk thousands of times. Plus… if I know Jason, there's someone out there watching me."

"How do you know that for sure?"

"Because he always has someone watching me." I grabbed my purse from under the cash register and went around the counter. "He and Sonny… they promised they'd always look after me."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did." My lips twitched at my own little joke, but I nodded. "Shoot."

"What was he like?"

"Who?"

"My bro—Sonny. Before I came to town, what was he like?"

Someday we'll know
If love can move a mountain
Someday we'll know
Why the sky is blue
Someday we'll know
Why I wasn't meant for you

"He was a good friend to me, for a long time. I didn't really know him until Jason left town the first time."

"Was he…was he happy?"

"With Carly?" I asked. "Yeah, I think so. Carly and I didn't really get along… but I think he was happy. But he changed. I'm not sure why he changed, but he did."

"How?" she asked.

"One minute… he was like the brother I never had. And then, the next, he didn't know me. He promised me he'd always look out for me, because of Jason, but I always thought he cared for me too. But in the end, I think I was just an extension of Jason."

Courtney nodded. I knew my words could be angering her… but I didn't really care. She wanted the truth, and I'd given it to her. "Just because we're talking, it doesn't mean I'm over what happened, you know?"

"Elizabeth–"

"Courtney… do you know what it's like to know that you're crazy about someone, and then to find out he was watching someone you considered a friend take her clothes off night after night?"

Does anybody know the way to Atlantis?
Or what the wind says when she cries?
I'm speeding by the place that I met you
For the ninety-seventh time tonight

Tears sprang to her eyes and I sighed. I didn't really want to see her cry. "I'm sorry–"

"I don't want your apologies. I just…" I sighed. "I just wanna be mad for awhile."

A knock on the glass startled us both. We looked up to find AJ in the window, smiling at us. I pulled my keys out of my purse and waited for her to gather her things. "Remember, you have to be here at five tomorrow. The docks crowd can be rough if they don't get their coffee. I'll be in at six thirty."

I opened the door and smiled at Jason's brother. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," he grinned. "You on your way home?"

"Yeah."

"Want us to walk with you?" he offered.

"No… I've got my trusty can of mace. It's not far from here."

"You okay?" he inquired.

"Yeah… I'm fine."

AJ nodded. I knew he didn't really believe me, but he wasn't going to press the issue. "I wanted to ask you something," he said. He looked between Courtney and me before he said, "I'll call you tonight?"

"I'll be at home."

"Okay."

They waited until I locked the door until they left the courtyard. I sighed into the darkness, but turned towards my studio. I missed Jason. "Suck it up, Webber."

Someday we'll know
If love can move a mountain
Someday we'll know
Why the sky is blue
Someday we'll know
Why I wasn't meant for you

~*~*~*~*~*~


Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Carly was waiting at my door when I got there. "Hey. I thought you were having dinner with your Mom."

She closed her eyes and nodded. "I was… but I have to tell you something."

"What's wrong?" I covered my mouth… it couldn't be. I mean… I know it couldn't be… I would feel it, wouldn't I? "Carly… is it Jason?"

"Jase is fine. I didn't mean to scare you. I haven't seen him, so I assume he's fine."

"He is… he came by Kelly's earlier." I wiggled the door lock and finally it opened. "Come in."

"Oh." The blonde followed me into the room and dropped her purse by the door. "So did you talk to him?"

"A little." I dropped down on the couch and began to pull off my heeled boots. "He did most of the talking, but I listened."

"And?" she pried.

Someday we'll know
Why Samson loved Delilah
One day I'll go
Dancing on the moon
Someday you'll know
That I was the one for you

I moved to one side of the couch and motioned for Carly to sit down. I hadn't realized it, but I wanted someone to talk this over with. "It was good. He had to be somewhere, though."

"Oh."

"He told me he loves me."

Carly smiled brightly. "It's about time he got his butt in gear."

I reached down and began pulling off my boots. "It was nice to talk to him. And that's all we did… just talked."

"So what does that mean?"

"I…" I sighed. "I don't know. I still have valid reasons to be mad at him."

"Agreed." Carly nodded her head. "But you can't be mad forever."

"I don't intend to. I just…"

"What kind of hoops are you going to make him jump through?"

"W-what?"

I bought a ticket to the end of the rainbow
Watched the stars crash in the sea
If I could ask God one question (one question...question)
Why aren't you here with me tonight?

"I remember when I was living with Jason… she, Robin, would get mad at him, and she'd stay mad for days. And Jason was always making it up to her, doing whatever she wanted. The little witch would sit back and watch in amusement when he did all of these things for her. Just because he couldn't stand for her to be mad."

"I'm not Robin, Carly."

"I know that."

"Do you really?" I asked. "When you look at me… what do you see?"

"At first, I saw the similarities," Carly admitted honestly. "You're petite, with dark brown hair… you're his type."

"'Type'"?

"You fit the pattern, Elizabeth." Carly smoothed a hand down her black skirt. "You've just got more fire than the rest of them."

"So you think Jason sees me as a Robin-substitute?"

"No."

"Then why did you say that?"

"Chill," she ordered. Carly held up a hand to stop my next comment. "I didn't say anything, Elizabeth. I just asked if you were going to make him jump through hoops."

"I'm not." I sighed and looked away. "Lucky used to do that… make me jump through hoops, I guess you call it. I hated it. Because no matter what I did… it was never enough. I was never enough for him. And I don't ever want Jason to feel like that."

"You're good for him."

I turned back to my one-time-nemesis and smiled gratefully. There was no way she could know what her approval meant to me. "Is there another reason you're here? Or just another one of Carly's pep talks?"

I noticed that she absently twisted her wedding ring on her finger. Her face had tightened, and it was like she was fighting with herself over what she should tell me. "Carly? What is it?"

"I…" she began. "I haven't been completely honest with you. About a lot of things."

"Carly–"

"Will you let me finish?"

I raised my hands in surrender. "Sorry."

"We argued for a long time about how much we should tell you. And Jason… he wanted to tell you everything." The blonde stopped and smiled. "He said he trusted you with his life, and so much more."

Carly looked away and tugged the wedding ring off. I saw as she fisted it in her hand and winced. I knew she was struggling with something and I didn't want to push her. "You don't have to tell me now," I assured her.

"Yes, I do." Carly looked me in the eyes and held my gaze. "You're mad at Jason, but he's not the only one you should be mad at… or I'm not even sure you should be mad at him. Yes, he didn't tell you… but he was only following Sonny's orders."

"Carly…"

"Elizabeth, please!" she cried. "I have to tell you something about Son–"

I bought a ticket to the end of the rainbow
Watched the stars crash in the sea
If I could ask God one question (one question...question)
Why aren't you here with me tonight?

A loud knock interrupted her sentence. I watched as Carly opened her mouth and then closed it again. The knocking continued and I glared at the door. "I should get that."

"Elizabeth, I have to tell you this."

"I'll get rid of them," I promised.

I crossed the room and opened the door. My heart broke at the sight in front of me. He looked pale… and hurt… and had he been crying? It looked like it. I sucked in a breath and reached out to him.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Someday we'll know
Why Samson loved Delilah
One day I'll go
Dancing on the moon
Someday you'll know
That I was the one for you

"Jason."

Song Credit: "Someday We'll Know," Mandy Moore, featuring Jonathan Foreman